


Studying Skysparklers

by Dedicate Kiwicrocus (cranky__crocus)



Series: SMACKDOWN '11 Round Two - Team Discipline [17]
Category: Emelan - Tamora Pierce
Genre: F/F, Goldenlake, smackdown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-21
Updated: 2011-05-21
Packaged: 2017-10-19 16:21:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/202828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cranky__crocus/pseuds/Dedicate%20Kiwicrocus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“It’s the Festival of Light—you don’t have anything more important than that.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Studying Skysparklers

**Author's Note:**

> Written for SMACKDOWN at Goldenlake: fiefgoldenlake.proboards.com

Niva was nowhere to be found, at least by Paraskeve’s initial search. She balanced on the fence outside of the main Earth Temple building, having checked there, the Hub, the dormitories and many of the Winding Circle gardens. Although, Niva _had_ mentioned that Leafstorm was intending to test her soon… Paraskeve shrugged, grinning, and headed off toward the library.

            The ground floor revealed nothing, nor the first, nor second. She was about to give up but thought there was no use stopping before the search was through and walked up to the third floor. It was eerily silent, but then most buildings were as the Temple inhabitants were, for the most part, preparing for the festival. Only people like Niva would be studying, surely.

            Paraskeve glanced around and saw nothing, but double-checked to find a dark corridor entrance across the way. She hurried over and peeked into each room down the corridor: the last one on the right was lit. Within it sat Niva, head in a loose-leafed book filled with plant parts—leaves and twigs and flowers. Yes, only Niva was studying during preparation for the Light Festival.

            “Niva!” Paraskeve whispered, for though she was prepared to break some rules, others were sacred—like keeping her voice down in libraries.

            “I’ve already cleaned my three rooms of the temple!” Niva responded, fiercely defensive, before even looking up. When she did, she found Paras’ grinning face. “Oh, what do _you_ want? I have studying to do!”

            Paraskeve’s grin grew crooked. “I’m taking you out for some fun.”

            “What fool told you I wanted fun?” Niva retorted, eyebrows drawn. “I have things to do.”

            “It’s the Festival of Light—you don’t have anything more important than that.”

            “I have a test.”

            “It’s just a test, forgotten by the next moon. Memories you make on festival days last a lifetime!” Paraskeve argued, though she didn’t consider it such. “Now, do you _really_ not want to come out?”

            Niva sighed, long and loud and martyred; her book closed slowly, but she tucked it under her arm as she stood. “I’m taking this with me.”

            “Suit yourself.” Paras smiled and beckoned.

 

 

“Where are we _going_ _?_ ” Niva grumbled as they walked through the stalls of craftspeople, food and varied festival wonders. Usually, if anyone could get Niva out for a festival, there was slow and frightfully boring meandering between the stalls, inspecting every shiny and singing thing until her senses were sore. Paras seemed to be walking with a mission.

            “Follow me and you’ll see.” Paras winked over her shoulder.

            Niva wrinkled her nose and glared, but found walking with a destination—however unknown—preferable to the unbearable dilly-dallying she had been forced into during prior festivals. When they arrived, Niva found herself just as perplexed.

            “Old Discipline?” she inquired, taking in the run-down old cottage where she had first met Paraskeve. “What are we doing here?”

            “I found the best spot in the Temple for the Yanjingyi skysparkler show,” Paras explained as she pulled Niva into the cottage. They had only entered together once before; Niva had been immediately put off by the mess, though Paras hadn’t seemed to mind much. Niva did her best to ignore the mould as Paras brought her to the back of what must have been the kitchen many years ago. Her companion pointed up the ladder-like stairs. “It’s up there.”

            “Surely that isn’t safe.”

            “Some special things aren’t. But I suppose if you want to stay down here…” Paras climbed up the stairs, quick as a street cat. She was at the top by the time she added, “I’ll just enjoy the view myself.”

            Niva groaned and followed the woman up. Surely _she_ was the one past 30 summers and _Paras_ was the one a few gone 20… She nearly turned back when Paraskeve pulled down a latch in the attic ceiling and yanked a ladder beneath it, tucking it securely and testing its weight—though she did it with the ease of someone who had done it a number of times already. Before Niva put up a fuss, however, she felt something urge her along. She swallowed her complaints and followed Paras onto the thatched roof of old Discipline Cottage, feeling incredibly undisciplined herself.

            But then the view drew the thoughts and breath right out of her.

 

 

Paraskeve had guessed correctly. The view they had from Discipline offered them the best sight of the skysparklers, which were lit from the tip of the Hub and erupted in the sky, raining coloured sparkles like softly falling stars through the air. Paras smiled, pleased with another successful adventure. She heard Niva gasp beside her.

            “Have you seen skysparklers like this?”

            “I’ve seen them before, but not like _this_.” Niva’s eyes were locked on the sky and the explosions of colour that lit it up in varied rhythms. Paraskeve watched Niva, eyes only drawn to the sky when the flashes of light caught at her peripheral.

            “I’m glad you like them,” Paras replied at last. She reclined against the thatch and knit her fingers behind her hair; she heard and felt Niva do the same. “Someday I’ll show you skysparklers over water.”

            “Does that have much effect?” Niva questioned, her eyes still stuck fast to the sky.

            “Sometimes it’s all in the reflection.”

            Niva laughed, poking the woman with a finger. “You and your riddles.”

            “They’re not riddles,” Paras declared as she caught Niva’s hand with her own, “Riddles have meaning or an answer; I find those boring. Mine are like…inverse koans, answering a logical question with no logic at all.”

            Niva laughed harder. “You’re just being enigmatic, hiding away the times you’re right— _abstractly_ , of course.”

            “Maybe so.” Paras smiled up at the stars. “We’ll never know.”

            The skysparklers ended in a crescendo and finished in a dizzying array of colour. Paras thought of the show she had watched over the bay from Sotat, but thought these might be better, for Yazmín had grown tired of skysparklers by then. Paras seldom grew tired of things.

            After a moment, Niva turned to look at her. “You know, I could study all hours every day for years and never know half the things you do.”

            “Half the things you wouldn’t want to know,” Paras replied, keeping the darkness from her voice. She smiled at Niva. “But you’ll learn the rest if you stay friends with me. Deal?”

            Niva’s eyebrow rose. “Well, as long as it serves a purpose…deal.”

            “My turn.” Paras pulled the book from behind Niva’s head—laughing as the woman protested with a jab to her side—and opened to a random page. “Tell me about your plants.”

            Niva grinned. “Well _this_ one’s poisonous…”

 

 

Later in the evening, after the lantern progression through the temple grounds, the two worked their way through the stalls of the marketplace without even a grumble from Niva. She laughed, instead, as she forced Paraskeve to try on a whole assortment of clothes. Niva was surprised and slightly jealous by how well they all seemed to suit Paras.

            But at the last stall, Paras got her revenge. Niva found herself in a sparkling green dress—it reminded her of the skysparklers—cutting out around her neck and shoulders in an oval and cascading down to near her ankles, longer in the back. Even the sleeves were slightly belled.

            She raised an eyebrow as Paraskeve told her she looked marvellous and disappeared for a moment. She returned with Niva’s white habit and a grin as wide as her broad cheeks. “Ready for home?”

            “Yes, but help me out of this dress first.”

            “No need.” Paras grasped the woman’s thumb. “I’m slumped and ready to head back, if you’re tired?”

            “Paraskeve. Get me out of this dress!”

            Paras’ eyes sparkled in the lantern light. “I am a gentlewoman; I am not taking you out of your dress.”

            “My dress?” Niva sputtered.

            “Ah! And now she spins it!”

            Niva glared her down, hands on her hips. “You didn’t just buy me a dress.”

            “No, you’re right, I didn’t,” Paras responded, hand waving before her face in a show of innocence. “I _bartered_ you a dress. Are you _coming_ now?”

            “What did you barter?” Niva was stuck fast, stubbornness rooting her to the spot.

            “I told her about my thread magic and she asked for a few favours, which I will complete next week. She has helped stitch witches—she called us that, isn’t that delightful?—before, so you’re doing me a favour as well. Does that make us even?”

            Niva considered it. If they all gained from the bargain, then she didn’t _technically_ owe Paraskeve anything. Except for that pesky debt of gratitude… Still, her feet found freedom from her mulishness and she was soon walking alongside the woman again.

            “It’s a nice dress.” Niva watched the lanterns as they passed underneath. “I wouldn’t have owned anything like this at home. So…I…thank you.”

            Paras laughed. “You’d think I asked for your teeth. You don’t have to thank me, Niva, but you’re welcome—since you did.” She winked and Niva groaned.

            “I’m not even sure _why_ you did it—dedicates don’t have nice things!” Niva protested as they walked up the stairs to the dormitory. A passing dedicate—Dedicate Sunchime—turned and laughed on her way down the stairs.

            “We’re not dedicates _yet_ ,” Paraskeve answered, laughing along with Sunchime. Good little novices, the two of them were, returning before curfew on a festival night—and Niva with a book snug under her arm. “I’m sure you’ll find some use for it.” When they reached their room and separate beds—on opposite sides of the female bedroom—Paras plucked up the book on her nightstand. She turned to Niva and appeared as close to shy as she ever was. “Can we read a little more tonight?”

            Niva tucked the book of plants under her pillow and grinned a toothy grin back. “Yes, I’m tired of studying for today. But you’re not going to like it.”

            “Of course not, Niva: you’re a _terrible_ teacher.”

            “That’s what I like to hear.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! (:


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